Motorcycle Sport & Leisure - July 2020

HOW TO PREP YOURSELF AND YOUR BIKE FOR THE END OF LOCKDOWN

RUMBLE IN THE

21 PAGES TRAVEL FROM SHROPSHIRE TO MEXICO

URBAN

JUNGLE

KAWASAKI Z H2

VS

KTM SUPER DUKE R

TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN Tested on UK roads KIT GUIDE Touring helmets TRAVEL CANCELLATIONS Will you get your money back?

July 2020 Issue 718

Contents

PAY LESS

Get the original & best bike magazine every month

P24

14 NEWS & OPINION:

24

Subscription offer

38

Your letters

40

Kit guide

News

7

Coronavirus brings out the best in bikers. Plus new bikes, deals and a bit of gossip, too.

10

26

Latest products

From helmets to boots, these products got us excited this month.

Maynard Hershon

There’s more to Guzzi oil filler caps than first meets the eye.

74

4 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

40

Save £££ and get the magazine before it's in the shops.

The roads may have been quiet, but MSL readers haven’t lost their voice.

A quick guide to all you need to know before buying your next touring helmet.

TOURING & ADVENTURE 51

Touring news

52

Day ride

54

Mid ride

58

Long ride

Over 3500 riders take part in women riders’ round-the-world relay

A loop taking in three counties, with most of it in Shropshire.

There’s some great riding to be found in the Dolomites.

Trip to Mexico, taking in 1800 miles, including the Baja peninsula.

64

Motorrad Days

70

Richard Millington

The event is cancelled this year, but here’s a taster of what to expect in 2021.

Our tour guru explains the situation with cancelled tours and trips.

TEST FLEET 82

84

64 Kawasaki Z H2 & KTM 1290 Super Duke R

This has been a good year for bonkers muscle bikes. These are just two trump cards from the pack.

28

42

Triumph Speed Twin

The legendary name is back, so we ride the bike on UK roads to see if it lives up to the name.

74

Knowledge

Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX Tourer

Nathan has been using his Guzzi to do the shopping, and not much else during the lockdown.

Stu has fallen in love with the Kawasaki from the word go.

90

Royal Enfield Interceptor 650

Mikko has been grounded by lockdown, so he’s started to accessorise the bike.

92

80

Royal Enfield has taken a global lead in the middleweight category... with exciting plans for the future.

94

Leaving lockdown

98

Here’s all you need to know about getting yourself and your bike ready for riding again.

Roger has decided to see if he can be converted into a scooter rider.

88

KNOWLEDGE 72

Yamaha TMAX

Moto Guzzi V85TT

Classic Suzuki sportsbikes

Mossy takes three big names from Suzuki’s sportsbike history for a trip to the Biker’s Classic.

Bertie can’t shake off a feeling of arachnophobia whenever he sees his Africa Twin.

86

ROAD TESTS 14

Honda Africa Twin

Yamaha Ténéré 700

Carl has swapped the KTM to a smaller adventure bike. Does the Ténéré fit the bill?

Head check

As well as being physically prepared for riding, it’s good to think about the mental side, too.

Tried & tested

The stuff we have worn, put on our bikes or fettled with.

Kevin Cameron

Should race bikes be purpose-built?

Kevin Cameron looks at the longstanding argument.

July 2020 EDITOR: Mikko Nieminen mnieminen@mortons.co.uk DESIGNER: Charlotte Turnbull PRODUCTION EDITOR: Mike Cowton PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Dan Savage PUBLISHER: Tim Hartley GROUP ADVERTISING MANAGER: Sue Keily DIVISIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER: Tom Lee: tlee@mortons.co.uk 01507 529412 ADVERTISING SALES: Emma Buxton-Rockley: EBuxton-Rockley@Mortons.co.uk 01507 529410 SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER: Paul Deacon: pdeacon@mortons.co.uk CIRCULATION MANAGER: Steve O’Hara: sohara@mortons.co.uk MARKETING MANAGER: Charlotte Park: cpark@mortons.co.uk COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Nigel Hole EDITORIAL ADDRESS: MSL Magazine, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR WEBSITE: www.mslmagazine.co.uk GENERAL QUERIES AND BACK ISSUES: 01507 529529 24-hr answerphone help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk ARCHIVE ENQUIRIES: Jane Skayman jskayman@mortons.co.uk 01507 529423 SUBSCRIPTION: Full subscription rates (but see page 24 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £52.80. Export rates are also available – see page 24 for more details.

UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. SUBSCRIPTION AGENTS: Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR CUSTOMER SERVICES NUMBER: 01507 529529 TELEPHONE LINES ARE OPEN: MONDAY-FRIDAY 8.30AM-5PM DISTRIBUTION: Marketforce UK Ltd, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HU. 0203 787 9001.

PRINTED: William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If you are sending material to us for publication, you are strongly advised to make copies and to include a stamped addressed envelope. Original material must be submitted and will be accepted solely on the basis that the author accepts the assessment of the publisher as to its commercial value. © Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher. ISSN: 1478-8390 MOTORCYCLE SPORT & LEISURE (USPS:001-522) is published monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK. USA subscriptions are $66 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Bancroft WI and additional entries.

Postmaster: Send address changes to MOTORCYCLE SPORT & LEISURE, c/o Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 chris@ classicbikebooks.com

Independent publisher since 1885

28

The Professional Publishers Association Member

Having trouble finding a copy of this magazine?

Why not Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month?

Test Ride

TOP

TRUMPS Conventional, normally aspirated big V-twin power from KTM, or something a little different – all-new supercharged power from Kawasaki… Time to be brave and test those neck and arm muscles – which would we take home?

WORDS: Adam ‘Chad’ Child PHOTOGRAPHY: Simon Lee

ROAD

CONCLUSION

Both bikes offer power and performance we wouldn’t have imagined possible from a naked bike 10 years ago. The limitation isn’t the engine, but how strong your arms are.

Both also offer unquestionable fun and thrills, but in different ways. I can see the Z H2 appealing to Hayabusa and ZZR1400 owners, a B-King for 2020. It’s more refined than the KTM, with immense power, and the supercharger is very addictive.

Anyone wanting more excitement, possibly moving from a sportsbike or trackday bike, will prefer the KTM. It’s still enormous fun, has the DNA of the original hooligan, but it’s grown up a little and, arguably, no longer wants to throw the TV out of the hotel window.

ENJOYED THIS PREVIEW? THE BEST ACTION IN TRIALS AND MOTOCROSS

DIRTb bike ke

VELO MAC MA S SPECIAL PECIAL NORTON RT RTON INTER AJS SCEPTRE SCEP E SPORTS! SCEPTR SPORTS POR !

PORTS

CLASSIC

#48

ISSUE

Forty-eight Autumn 2018

OCTOBER 2018

No. 330 October 2018 £4.30 UK Off-sale date 31/10/2018

MOTO MEMORIES // TECH TALK // MONTESA COTA 200 // BULTACO MATADOR

3.60

Running, Riding & Rebuilding Running, Rebuilding Real RealClassi RealC Classic C lassi Motorcycles

BOXER CKS TRIC

HOW THE LEGEEND BEGAN

SUPERMAC’S TRIUMPH DRAYTON

PRINTED IN THE UK

PLUS MOTO MEMORIES TECH TALK MONTESA COTA 200 BULTACO MATADOR AN HOUR WITH: GERRIT WOLSINK

£3.60 US$9.99 C$10.99 Aus$8.50 NZ$9.99 PRINTED IN THE UK

HOME, JAMES!

UNIVERSITY GRADUATE

#48

001 Cover_OCT.indd 1

AT THE CASTLE

DRUMLANRIG 2018 D 20

WINNER

SUPER PROFILE: ARIEL’S HT3

GREEVES ESSEX TWIN BUYING GUIDE // STRIP YOUR TWOSTROKE // BSA B31 RESTORATION // MALLE MILE // CAFE RACER CUP // SHETLAND CLASSIC // THE CLASSIC TT // MIKE HAILWOOD REPLICA

CLASSICS

65 PRE65 PRE

PRINTED IN THE UK

R 2018 ISSUE 174 OCTOBER

N48 2018 US$15.99 Aus$14.99 NZ$18.99 UK£5.50 UK Off-sale date 15/11/18

BUY  SELL  RIDE  RESTORE

13/09/2018 10:34:50

001 CDB Cover_048.indd 1

02/08/2018 14:53:55

001 Cover_174.indd 1

03/09/2018 10:18:26

•SINGLE ISSUES •SUBSCRIPTIONS

CLICK HERE

www.classicmagazines.co.uk

ENDOFPREVI EW

I fy oul i k ewhaty ou’ v e r eads of ar ,whynot s ubs c r i be,ort r ya s i ngl ei s s uef r om:

www. c l as s i c magaz i nes . c o. uk